Kobo™ Writing Life
Frequently Asked Questions
Revised July 18, 2012
FAQ
AUTHORS FAQ
1. HOW DO I DISTRIBUTE MY CONTENT THROUGH KOBO?
It’s simple. Once you sign up for Kobo Writing Life you can download and
review our Vendor Guide (available in pdf or ePub format) which offers details
about the various steps in your publishing journey. But, in a nutshell, here’s the
process:

Accept the Terms of Agreement. (You only need to do this once)

Enter eBook information (Title, Author Name, Description, Category, etc.),
upload your cover and either your ePub file or your manuscript for free
conversion to ePub format

Verify the ePub meets your satisfaction

Set the territory and pricing information

Publish your eBook
2. WHAT IS THE COST TO DISTRIBUTE MY EBOOKS THROUGH KOBO?
Nothing! Kobo does not charge a fee for distributing your eBooks. Kobo will also
convert your manuscript to the ePub standard format entirely for free and with no
strings attached.
3. HOW DO I GET PAID?
Kobo offers a standard Independent Publisher Program contract through Kobo
Writing Life. You can receive royalty payments from Kobo via EFT (Electronic
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Fund Transfer) directly in to your bank account. Authors are paid 45 days after
the end of each monthly period provided you have met a minimum threshold of
$100.

if your content has not generated the minimum threshold listed above, we will
provide you with payment every 6 months

sales from your books in all countries are amalgamated to reach the threshold
listed above
4. WHAT IS AN EPUB?
Kobo proudly supports the ePub file format (with an .epub file extension), the
industry standard electronic book format. ePubs are reflowable, meaning they can
be distributed across a wide array of channels and devices without losing their
structure. They provide readers with the opportunity to open a Kobo eBook on their
smartphones, tablets, laptops, as well as our Kobo eReaders!
5. WHAT IS METADATA?
Metadata is defined as data about data. For an eBook, metadata is the collection of
information about your eBook (like its title, eISBN, author, publisher, BISAC codes,
language, territorial rights, etc.). Although it is not as exciting or as interesting as
anything readers will find in your eBooks, metadata is critical for getting every
eBook up for sale right side up, with all the information readers will need to find it
in our store.
The great news is that Kobo Writing Life gives you an easy way not only to enter
your metadata, territorial rights and pricing information, but also allows you to
update those values quickly and easily.
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6. HOW DO I PROTECT MY CONTENT?
Kobo takes a number of steps to prevent your content from being copied, saved,
distributed and reproduced. We offer our vendors the option to enable Digital
Rights Management (DRM) on all of their titles.
7. WHO OWNS THE RIGHTS TO MY BOOKS?
Kobo is not seeking an exclusive agreement to distribute your titles; however, in
order to engage in an agreement with Kobo, we require that you own the digital
rights to the content you wish to provide to us. If you only own the digital rights to
your content in certain territories, you can make that available for sale using our
flexible territorial right management tool within Kobo Writing Life’s easy DIY
portal.
8. WHAT IS AN EISBN AND HOW DO I GET ONE?
ISBN is an abbreviation for International Standard Book Number. Similar to how
hardcover texts have a separate ISBN from their paperback counterparts, the
eBook version of your content requires a unique identifier as well.
You will be able to publish through Kobo without an eISBN, but we strongly advise
that you have one so you can take full advantage of Kobo’s partnership with
leading retailers around the world.
eISBNs are a requirement of a number of our international retail partners and the
inclusion of an eISBN enables your book to be available from all of our eBook retail
partners, so the inclusion of an eISBN will allow us to distribute your eBook
through all possible channels.
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Depending on where in the world you are located, there are different agencies that can supply you with
an ISBN number for different costs.
Canada
United States
Publishers based in Canada can get an ISBN number from Library and Archives
Canada for free.
How to Apply
The United States ISBN Agency is the only official source authorized to assign
ISBNs to publishers based in the United States. Prices for ISBNs range from $100
USD to $1000 USD, depending on the number of ISBN numbers you purchase.
About the agency and downloadable user guides
Pricing
UK and Ireland
The Neilson UK ISBN Agency is responsible for assigning ISBN numbers to
publishers based in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Prices for ISBNs range from
£118.68 to £576.48, depending on the number of ISBN numbers you purchase.
FAQs for New Publishers
Pricing
Europe
To find the agency that is responsible for issuing an ISBN in your country or
region, visit the International ISBN Agency website. To find the institution
responsible for issuing ISBNs in your country, follow the “National Agencies”
link on the left hand-side of the page and then use the dropdown menu to
select your country.
New Zealand
The National Library of New Zealand provides ISBN numbers to publishers
based in New Zealand for free.
General information
Australia
Publishers based in Australia can obtain ISBN number from the ISBN Agency
Australia. Prices for ISBNs range from $40 AUD to $2,750 AUD, depending on
the number of ISBN numbers you purchase, plus a $55 AUD publisher
registration fee.
General information and pricing
More information about ISBNs can be found at the following website:
http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp
9. WHERE ELSE CAN KOBO DISTRIBUTE MY EBOOKS?
Kobo is continuing to expand our global presence by partnering with a number of
local and international eBook retailers. Some of our current partnerships include:
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Chapters/Indigo (Canada), Angus and Robertson (Australia), Whitcoulls (New
Zealand), FNAC (France), WH Smith (United Kingdom), as well as our own
international eBook store at http://www.kobobooks.com/.
10.
IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO DISTRIBUTE TO KOBO?
Kobo celebrates a “Read Freely” philosophy and had great relationships with
publishers and data aggregation services around the world. We recognize that
some authors would rather enter their content in a single system and have it
pushed out to various retailers.
If that works better for you, then you should consider working with a digital
aggregator. The following aggregators are just a few that are currently
distributing content to Kobo and can deliver your content directly to us as well,
allowing you to avoid any technical uncertainties:

Smashwords (US)

Author Solutions (US)

eBookit (US)

Book Pod (Australia)

Book Hub (US)

Fast Pencil (US)

eBook Partnership (UK)

Book Baby (US)

Bookmasters (US)

National Book Network (US)
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